Last Time I Saw Mother

Amazon.com

When an oblique letter summons Caridad from Australia to her mother's side in the steamy Philippines, she travels there fearing loss. And loss she finds, but one that finally throws light on the whispers that dogged her life in this land where Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino cultures slap against one another. "The past defines us as much as the present," says Caridad. "Because mine was missing, I never felt whole." Four women--Caridad, her mother Thelma, aunt Emma, and cousin Ligaya--piece together the puzzle of a life begun in wartime. Their vantage points differ, but their stories are silver-tongued and spellbinding even as Ligaya's bitterness stains the pages and Emma's long, mute acceptance of fate's cruelty rings false. Wrapped around Caridad's story is a far bigger one of the years when the Japanese occupied the Philippines and American liberation forces decimated the country.

Book Description

"AN OFTEN LYRICAL AND ALWAYS TOUGH-MINDED DEBUT . . . Provides rare insight into the three cultures--Spanish, Chinese, and Filipino--that coexist in the Philippines."
--The New York Times Book Review

Caridad's mother never writes. So when a letter arrives for her in Sydney from Manila, Caridad doesn't even recognize her mother's handwriting. There is more distance than just miles between the two women. And that is why Caridad is called home. Her mother needs to talk. And to reveal a secret that has been weighing heavily on her for years.

As Caridad hears at last the unspoken stories, and the never forgotten tragedy of the war years, she will learn a startling truth that will change her life forever. For Caridad is not who she thinks she is. . . .

"Beautifully written . . . Reading each chapter is like having a conversation with a close friend."
--Chicago Tribune

"A sensitive . . . portrait of a family of Filipina women . . . The novel illuminates much modern Philippine history."
--The Boston Globe

Customer Reviews:

Pinay Pride.......2003-09-29

"A remarkable first novel filled with family secrets and the intersection of personal and world histories, told through four mesmerizing voices." -- Amy Tan

Amy Tan summed it up perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it brought out my Filipina pride. I first learned about this book from a small commentary in one of the fashion magazines and bought it to read on my trip in Egypt. Okay, 5 years later I finally finish it!

Before the family secret was revealed, I had a very strong inclination of what the secret was that brought Caridad back to the Philippines. Fortunately, that wasn't the main focus of the book. The focus was on the relationships between these four women (sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters). Where Amy Tan focuses on the relationship between mothers and daughters, Arlene Chai emphasizes the extended family ties that Filipinos are known for.

Chai did a wonderful job of writing in 4 distinct voices...you can really hear the difference, while at the same time there is some similarity in they way they told their stories re-enforcing that these women are bonded to one another.

I also enjoyed the interweaving of the historical events into the personal lives of each character...it provided a mini-Filipino history, painfully reminded me of the stories my Lola (grandmother) shared with me about her experiences with WWII as well as flashbacked to the moment in time when I heard that Aquino was assassinated.

I also dig seeing Filipino words in a novel meant for pleasure and Chai explained the context of each Filipino word in away that wasn't simply a definition/translation. From the way she used the words, non-Tagalog speaking folks could guess what it meant.

The ending of the book was pleasantly touching, which was very refreshing because most of the other books that I recently finished left me with a blah feeling at the end.

Finally, I discovered an awesome quote in the book that fellow booklovers might appreciate. It's a statement that one of the characters in the book says in describing why he loved to read and how he read: "Much effort went into writing this... so one must do justice to the writer and read it carefully. Every word has a place in these pages. There is a reason why they are there."

Good read........2002-09-22

Arlene Chai beautifully shows how the Philippines was during war, and still manages to connect the original story. Beautiful. :)

Everyone loves Ligaya.......2001-02-09

No question, we are certainly the "Other". When it comes to analysis, Chai is measured on a scale that does not really apply to her. There were calls for further character building and terms that needed further explanation. However, that is where Chai is greatest - that she comes into this discourse unpretentious - it is as if I was talking to my Lola on a Sunday afternoon.

In order to effect the epiphany that Caridad undergoes, we have to take Chai at face value. I believe that she succeeds with Ligaya - she may not have meant to do this but Ligaya is the result of the forces of Dionysis contra Apollo. Nietzsche spoke of Dionysis as "raw stuff" and Apollo as a sense of order. To live in the realm of Apollo would be to be dead without dying - Thelma (p. 309). To live in the chaotic realm of the passionate Dionysis is unrealistic - Emma. The two forces need each other and they are present in Ligaya. She is the poster child for broken dreams and it might be reasonable to say she deserves to carry around a bit of baggage. She is living in the tension. She is beauty.

I hope Chai never stops writing and I will keep buying her books. Despite "Eating Fire and Drinking Water", the call for her to write and write often is clear. This is the absent voice we have been waiting for for a long time. It has arrived. Who can argue with the likes of Amy Tan and Bryce Courtenay when they praise her work. There is someting in this for all of us. Given enough time to mature and refine her writing she will one day inhabit that space beside Tan and Courtenay - in a lot of ways she already does. 5 stars, no question!

Miguel Llora

Arlene Chai's novel.......2000-10-19

Arlene Chai's attempt to picture generations of the Filipino family fails. For one thing, the voices the characters are not distinct from one another that the reader cannot identify who's talking if it's not blatantly stated. The redeeming value of the novel is that it moves the audience to hate war.

Brilliance of An International Filipina Writer.......2000-04-17

I want to say that I found the book brilliant. I am very nationalistic, but I have never appreciated the works of contemporary Filipino authors-that is, until now. It gave people a clear picture of what being Filipino was and is like. Of course, some things have changed, but her work is still a clear reflection of the Pinoy life. It also revealed how much our history still means to us today-how much value our freedom and independence is to us as shown in the accounts of the Japanese Occupation and the EDSA Revolt. May dating pa rin ang Pinoy, and it certainly shows in this book.

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THE LAST TIME I SAW MOTHER
ARLENE J. CHAI
Manufacturer: HEADLINE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SI5WJI

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The Last Time I Saw Mother
Arlene J. Chai
Manufacturer: Fawcett Columbine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S5ZYM6

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The Last Time I Saw Mother
Arlene J. Chai
Manufacturer: Fawcett Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUC5QE

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The Last Time I Saw Mother

Manufacturer: Fawcett Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HIGI1K

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Last Time I Saw Mother
Arlene Chai
Manufacturer: Random House Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGT5BA

The Last Time I Saw Mother by Chai, Arlene

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The Last Time I Saw Mother by Chai, Arlene
Enid Blyton
Manufacturer: Pan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WEXDZI

Amazon.com

Editor Jim Turner has compiled a real page turner in Cthulhu 2000. His anthology of short stories based on the works of horrorist H.P. Lovecraft is a dark gem, and of superior stuff. Although they all have the coppery tang of the eldritch, the tales aren't strictly in the horror mien. Some of them are an alloy of horror with a sci-fi, humor, detective, vampire or even romance slant.

The very best are truly horrible, in the most complimentary sense of that word. "His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood" (Poppy Z. Brite), "The Adder" (Fred Chappell), "Fat Face" (Michael Shea), "The Unthinkable" (Bruce Sterling), "Love's Eldritch Ichor" (Esther M. Friesner) and "On the Slab" (Harlan Ellison) are the keen standouts, but all the rest, practically, are of almost equal quality. However, there are a couple of tales that do not deserve to be amongst this company, and the tome would have been better and tighter by their absence. Certainly, at 398 pages, there's no lack of material.

In "His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood," Poppy Z. Brite deftly invokes a vampric flavor to themes of decay and the forbidden, his writing style as ornate and refined as rococo and in the real spirit of the master. Fred Chappell's "The Adder" draws the dangerous and inimical from the ordinary in a tale delightful for its originality. Bruce Sterling also slings some fresh ideas around in "The Unthinkable," melding modernity and necromancy in a brief, effective story.

Horror gourmands will find a good meal here, but Cthulhu 2000 should have a bit of life outside its traditional genre, for the writing is strong, imaginative and entertaining. --Tamara Hladik

Book Description

In Cthulhu 2000, a host of horror and fantasy's top authors captures the spirit of supreme supernatural storyteller H. P. Lovecraft--with eighteen chilling contemporary tales that would have made the master proud.

- The Barrens by F. Paul Wilson: In a tangled wilderness, unearthly lights lead the way to a world no human was meant to see.
- His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood by Poppy Z. Brite: Two dabblers in black magic encounter a maestro of evil enchantment.
- On the Slab by Harlan Ellison: The corpse of a one-eyed giant brings untold fortune--and unspeakable fear--to whoever possesses it.
- Pickman's Modem by Lawrence Watt-Evans: Horror is a keystroke away, when an ancient evil lurks in modern technology.

PLUS FOURTEEN MORE BLOOD-CURDLING STORIES

Customer Reviews:

A Lot of Talent Between two covers.......2007-01-15

The trouble with most Cthulhu collections (meaning Lovecraft pastiche) is that the authors don't really know what they're imitating. Usually you see an invocation of the Necronomicon, some chanting (in italics! Ia!), and the summoning of some unpronounceable god. This at least approaches the game that HPL and his friends played, to make an ancient tome and monster and then to share them in a common literary world. To recycle what already has been done, though, takes out the spirit of fun and creativity that was the point of the game to begin with. Some of the humorous pieces in the genre, like "It's Only the End of the World, Again" can at least tap into that spirit of conviviality. Typical Lovecraft pastiche can almost be done by Mad Lib.

It's even harder to get at the real spirit of what Lovecraft was writing about. Most folks think it's about horror; Lovecraft, himself, said that was not what his stories were about. In a letter, he said that he tried to evoke a sense of wonder and awe about the universe. And since he didn't believe in anything but cold nature, he felt that man's proper response to wonder and awe is fear and horror. Think about it.

Fortunately, CTHULHU 2000 is not bad pastiche or shallow horror (mostly). There are some gag stories that fall flat, and some that try to redo a Lovecraft story in the modern day and lose all that made it worth remembering. And I'll even admit that the offering from Zelazny was over my head. But there is some astonishingly good writing here, like "The Barrens", or "The Last Feast of Harlequin", or "The Faces at Pine Dunes". A lot of that quality is that the writers are already accomplished authors, but the excellence comes from telling an authentic story, without trying to copy a style. There's a sense of awe and wonder at discovering something bigger and deeper and more ancient than we can imagine, and being changed by that. And that's how you find Cthulhu at the end.

Contents:
"The Barrens" F. Paul Wilson
"Pickman's Modem" Lawrence Watt-Evans
"Shaft Number 247" Basil Copper
"His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood" Poppy Z Brite
"The Adder" Fred Chappell
"Fat Face" Michael Shea
"The Big Fish" Kim Newman
"I had Vacantly Crumpled It into My Pocket..." Joanna Russ
"H.P.L." Gahan Wilson
"The Unthinkable" Bruce Sterling
"Black Man With a Horn" T.E.D. Klein
"Love's Eldritch Ichor" Esther M. Friesner
"The Last Feast of Harlequin" Thomas Ligotti
"The Shadow on the Doorstep" James P. Blaylock
"Lord of the Land" Gene Wolfe
"The Faces at Pine Dunes" Ramsey Campbell
"On the Slab" Harlan Ellison
"24 Views of Mt. Fuji, by Hokusai" Roger Zelazny

You'll End Up Enjoying It.......2005-09-05

Okay, I admit that I approached this anthology with some trepidation, since I enjoy the "old-school" style of Lovecraftian stories.

But despite myself, I ended up enjoying this collection, and I think other readers will also. Here's why:

--there's enough diversity in the types of tales presented to insure that most readers will find at least several stories they enjoy.

--there are a few just plain wonderfully creepy and atmospheric yarns, such as "The Barrens" by F. Paul Wilson and "The Last Feast of Harlequin" by Thomas Ligotti.

So give this collection a try. Horror fans and/or Lovecraft afficionados alike will find quite a few pleasant surprises in the gems presented here.

--

Very good modern collection of Cthulhu short stories .......2004-07-30

_Cthulhu 2000_ is (as one might guess from the title) a collection of recently written short stories set in the universe created by H.P. Lovecraft, none by Lovecraft himself but rather by a variety of different authors. Editor Jim Turner provides a nice introduction to the Lovecraft's writings, drawing attention to two themes in the Cthulhu mythos. One theme is that though Lovecraft is in many ways a horror writer, he did not see the universe in terms of some epic, Biblical struggle between good and evil. Turner writes that a conventional horror writer "presupposes an actively malicious universe;" Lovecraft saw the universe in his stories instead as profoundly indifferent, that the interaction of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology are so universal and eternal a phenomenon that they are far beyond any meaningful relationship with any species so transient as man, located as he is on such an insignificant planet. Man is a speck, nothing at all, against the horrors in a true piece of Cthulhian fiction. The best he can hope for from the universe is profound indifference. Lovecraft's monsters aren't evil, they just exist, they are almost elemental forces.

A second theme, in many related to the first theme, is that the universe is vast and probably unknowable by man. Some of the horror from Lovecraft's writings comes from the "finite mind grappling with infinite reality," the results of which are often insanity and/or death. Lovecraft himself said humans live on a "placid island of ignorance" amidst "black seas of infinity," and that mankind was not mentioned to voyage far. Man is better off not knowing the true horrors that lurk in the shadows.

So how well do the eighteen short stories in this volume realize these themes? Pretty well overall I think. Many of the stories depart from Lovecraft's typical mode of writing; most of his short stories were tales (memoirs really) told by men after the fact - sometimes dead or insane at the end of the story - rather than actually accounting events as they happened, often lacking dialogue. Though a few of the stories are in Lovecraft's traditional style, most are not. To me this is quite refreshing.

Several stories to me were exemplary, centering on a seemingly normal person, perhaps an investigator, perhaps not, in what looks like a normal, mundane, mortal world, one that is revealed to be hiding untold horrors unknown to most of humanity. _Black Man with a Horn_ by T.E.D. Klein was an excellent page-turner (I wished it was longer though it was already almost a novella in length), an intriguing tale that wove together elements of Malaysian folklore, a retiring missionary, an elderly horror writer, and some mysterious disappearances in Florida. It had a wonderful atmosphere and the author did a great job of slowly, very slowly, revealing what the horror of the piece was. _The Last Feast of the Harlequin_ by Thomas Ligotti was similarly excellent, the protagonist an anthropological researcher (who specialized in studying the role of the clown in various cultures) traveling to the town of Mirocaw to research a Winter Solstice celebration that was rumored to involve a clown figure. The main character finds more than he bargained for, discovering that there was a great deal more to the festival that initially met the eye. _The Barrens_ by F. Paul Wilson focused on a researcher and his ex-girlfriend, the former obsessed with the phenomenon of pine lights (eerie will o'wisp like globules of light said to haunt the New Jersey Pine Barrens), an obsession that leads the main characters to view the world in an entirely different light.

Several stories were a bit more unusual and I am not sure I understood them. _Shaft Number 247_ by Basil Cooper appeared to be set in the far future, underground, in a highly mechanized and regimented society that either could not survive on the surface of the earth or was afraid to. The Cthulhic element was subtle, almost slight. _The Shadow on the Doorstep_ by James P. Blaylock was well-written, almost poetic, describing the author's encounters with mysterious aquarium shops in various places in California as well as what might or might not have been some horrid apparition on his doorstep late one evening, but the horror and mystery in this piece was very subtle, maybe too subtle.

A couple of stories were humorous, playing with the Cthulhu mythos but not much in the style of Lovecraft, not that they weren't enjoyable. _Pickman's Modem_ by Lawrence Watt-Evans dealt with as one might guess a demonic modem and its effects on its user and _Love's Eldritch Ichor_ by Esther M. Friesner was almost slapstick, the subject a budding young romance writer (!) with some rather unusual friends.

I enjoyed this book a lot, I find it a fairly quick read and a good continuation of Lovecraft's writings. I would love to see a sequel volume.

attempts collection.......2003-04-08

this collection contains some stories that are almost good (wolfe, copper, wilson, campbell) but in the end are not good enough. i like good pulp. it's not here. some of the stories are really strangely uninteresting. kind of author-is-trying-to-be-inventive, and creates a story i am not impressed by.

OK but not what I expected.......2003-04-06

The stories in this book were in general rather dissappointing. There were a few good ones, but for the majority of stories were average at best. Very few of the stories were "modern" like I expected; nothing really about how the mythos has influenced our current lifestyle.

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Cthulhu 2000
Jim(editor) TURNER
Manufacturer: Arkham House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OPBIU2

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Hong Kong & China Gas Chinese Cookbook
David W Perkins
Manufacturer: POWELLS COOKS & GARDENERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TUL52S

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Hong Kong & China Gas Chinese Cookbook

Manufacturer: Pat Printer Associates Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GWXDZQ

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Hong Kong & China Gas Chinese Cookbook
Ram, Perkins & Cook Lai
Manufacturer: Pat Printer Assoc Limtd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O1QICY

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Hong Kong & China Gas Chinese Cookbook
David W. (Editor) Perkins
Manufacturer: Hong Kong & China Gas Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000G6MNB2

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Hong Kong and China Gas Chinese Cookbook
Jane Ram, David Perkins, Peter C. Cook T.C. Lai
Manufacturer: The Hong Kong & China Gas Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IFOFLC

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Hong Kong and China Gas Chinese Cookbook
Perkins
Manufacturer: Northwest Intl Trading
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0686387694

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Hong Kong and China Gas Chinese Cookbook
T.C. Lai
Manufacturer: PPA Design Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KFWHME

Product Description

This is a 1991 reprint of the 1978 book. Extensive illustrations of the cookbook with authentic Chinese recipes, such as Camphor and Tea Smoked Duck and Stewed Lamb with Dry Beancurd.

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Hong Kong & China Gas Chinese Cookbook
lai
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GROPGW

Hong Kong and China Gas Chinese Cookbook

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Hong Kong and China Gas Chinese Cookbook
David Perkins
Manufacturer: PAT PRINTER ASSOCIATES LIMITED
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKESW2

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HONG KONG AND CHINA GAS: CHINESE COOKBOOK.
David W (editor). Perkins
Manufacturer: PPA Design Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O9MYJ2

Book Description

This identification and price guide of American redware pottery combines an historical view of the forms-both utilitarian and decorative-and color photographs of hundreds of pieces. Eighteenth and nineteenth century bowls, jars, plates and toys, including several types of glazes and slipwares, are presented in a chronological sequence and with associated forms. Today's many owners, dealers, and potters of this distinctive ceramic type will be thankful to finally have a good reference book available to them.

Customer Reviews:

Good Basic Guide.......2000-10-19

This is a good basic guide to Redware, written by an archaeologist (and how many collectible pottery books can boast of an author with that background?) as well as a collector. Those interested in beginning or adding to their collection of Redware will find the sections on rarity, pricing and condition of items to be of special interest. Full-color photos of various items (with values) make this one a treasure trove!

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Redware, America's Folk Art Pottery
Kevin McConnell
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBMP32

Book Description

Five chapters deal with carving various parts of the body....Clay modeling is used to graphically demonstrate how bones, muscles and fat contribute to the outward shape. Emphasis is on carving with wood, but sculptors in stone and other media will find the information equally valuable.... Dozens of color photographs showing finished pieces and works in progress.”—Woodshop News.

Book Description

It’s one of a homeowner’s biggest decorating challenges: deciding what lighting will both provide the desired effect and complement the overall décor. So if you’re in the dark about how to brighten up a space, the pros at House Beautiful have many stunning solutions. You’ll learn about fixtures ranging from simple sconces and Tizio lamps to wacky kitchen treatments to grand crystal works of art, and see how light changes the look of a room. Whether you need a simple reading lamp or a way to focus dramatic attention on your favorite works of art, every photo and page is loaded with smart suggestions.

Customer Reviews:

long on beautiful short on technique.......2002-12-09

I bought this book because House Beautiful books always have gorgeous photographs, and I was hoping to learn more about lighting techniques. I am very satisfied with the former, but unhappy with the latter. For each picture they give a lighting tip, and describe the picture. However, the tips are very general, you could figure them out for yourself, and are therefore, not very informative. And, if you look at the picture you don't need the description they give. The only reason I give this book four stars is for the pictures. They are beautiful and do show different forms of light in various situations. If you like the magazine, you will like the style of the rooms shown in the book. However, if you want to learn lighting techniques, i.e. how to set up task lighting versus accent lighting, I suggest you find another book.

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